My intro to X Ray Spex‘s music was, I think, through a brief clip on Julian Temple’s The Filth and the Fury doco about the Sex Pistols. The clip was of Poly Styrene & Co. on stage at Top of the Pops. Styrene was belting out The Day the World Turned Day-Glo and it was fucking awesome.

I didn’t investigate further at the time. A couple of years later, while going through one of my periodic intense ladyvocals cravings, it occurred to me that I should “download that X Ray Spex album”.

I love it so much. There are a whole bunch of sublime moments in there that make me feel as though I can do anything. Truly empowering music is a rare, incredible thing.